Frederick Askin, 58

| May 19, 2011 - 2:07pm

Best known in East Hampton for the years he spent as a gas station attendant at the Y Pay More station on Three Mile Harbor Road, Frederick Askin, known as Rick, died on April 25 in Riverhead after a short bout with cancer. He was 58 years old.
“Most all of East Hampton knew him,” said Catherine Wood, a close family friend whose family owned the gas station. Mr. Astin worked at the station at 23 Three Mile Harbor Road for 10 years, and, according to Ms. Wood, “he helped everyone, and everybody who knew him just loved him.” He was especially close to the Wood and Petersen families.
Mr. Askin was born in Queens to Frederick and Evelyn Askin on May 22, 1952. In addition to the years he spent working in East Hampton, Mr. Askin also held a previous job as third shift manager at Additive Products in Aquebogue. He moved to Riverhead 30 years ago.
“He was an artist, poet, and musician,” said Ms. Wood, who added that his artistic endeavors had been showcased at the Riverhead Gallery.
Another passion of Mr. Askin’s was working with the Christian organization Samaritan’s Purse, filling shoeboxes with necessaries for children in need, a project that he began in honor of Naomi Tyte, his partner of 25 years, who died of breast cancer in the 1990s.
“He helped me so much,” Ms. Wood said. As of Mr. Askin’s death, the local arm of the organization had filled 9,056 shoeboxes. Ms. Wood plans on getting to 10,000 by the end of the year, “for Rick.”
Mr. Askin was buried at St. John’s Cemetery in Riverhead. Donations in his name can be made to Samaritan’s Purse, P.O. Box 3000, Boone, N.C. 28607.